Hey, You! America!
 

So yeah - tomorrow I'm headed to Vancouver, and the next day I'm going to New York. You lucky guys. Apart from not knowing where I'll be setting up camp, or what I'll be doing, it'll pretty much a week of checking out cafés and window shopping.

Dad has a bit of touristy stuff planned, and mum and the kid sister wanna do the Broadway thing. I just wanna chill out. So what're the best activities to do not just in the big apple, but on vacation in general?

And for that matter, are any of you forumites in that neck of the woods?

I live in Manhattan.

I'd have to dig it out, but there's a place where you can buy half-price Broadway tickets for shows that day. You don't have control over what's available, but it might be worth it if you need to save money.

It really depends on what you're interested in. There's just so much stuff that it's hard to direct you without having something specific in mind.

I live in Brooklyn.

Seconding the half price broadway tickets thing, although I don't know your (family's) taste in theater. I'd definitely recommend checking out one of the museums, unless that's really not your thing.

This was the place I was talking about.

General advice:
*If you want to go inside the Stature of Liberty, you have to be there early, like 5-6am, or it won't happen. If you just want to visit Ellis Island, it'll still be mobbed, but you can do it at anytime during the day.
*Times Square is worth seeing for the "ooooh" factor. Be warned, though: it's a touristy area and a veritable sea of assholes who are quite willing to knock into you if you're in their way.
*If you want to chill at coffee or diners, go to Brooklyn. Manhattan places are usually busier and have a tendency to rush you through as quickly as they can.
*HopStop is an excellent place for planning routes.
*I'm guessing you're flying in? If so, what airport? The best way to get from A to B will depend on that.

What do you want to see? I can point you to specific places if you tell me.

I live on Long Island and go to school in Manhattan.

Times Square is fun, albeit crowded. It's full of shops and restaurants and lights. Pretty nice place to take pictures and just window shop.

If you like museums there's a ton to go to. Just to name a few: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Children's Museum, Museum of Sex, Madame Toussaud's Wax Museum, Museum of Modern Art.

What school, just out of curiosity? I also attend a Manhattan school, but probably not the same one.

And I really need a nap now, so Seil, if you want me to give you some names of places, PM me with info for whatever means of contact you'll have, and I'll message them to you probably this evening.

Hunter College on the East side.

If you're into sports or concerts, you can always check out what's going on at Madison Square Garden.

What...

Why do so many people live here and we've never done anything? I am in complete support of an NPF day in the city if anyone else is interested.

As for what to do while you're there, head down to Little Italy and grab a slice of pizza at Lombardi's at the intersection of Spring and Mott streets. It pride's itself as being the first pizza shop in the U.S. The pizza itself is heavenly and cheap, though I think they were bought out and commercialized a bit. And after you're done there I'd say head to the seaport and see the statue.

Also, the tree's lit in Rockefeller Center now, good photo op.

Well damn, now I want to shoot stuff from the empire state building!